This week’s Conversation That Matters features Shari Graydon of Informed Opinions which strives to amplify women’s voices to ensure women’s perspectives and priorities play an equal role in Canadian Society. Graydon regrets that in 2017 women remain under-represented as experts in the media, while men provide the lion’s share of commentary and analysis. She says, “that it is a profound loss that we are not actively engaging, accessing, utilizing, permitting women to contribute their talents, insights, energies and intelligence to everything we're doing.”

Graydon points to the US election as proof that women are still treated differently, “it's very, very clear that the degree of sexism that operated in terms of the coverage and attitudes generally, reinforced by media about Hillary Clinton's candidacy are still alive and thriving”. She notes that the more women experts and politicians we see, the easier it will be for all of them to be perceived as competent and treated more responsibly.

Conversations That Matter is a partner program with the Centre for Dialogue at Simon Fraser University. Join veteran Broadcaster Stuart McNish each week for these important and engaging Conversations shaping our future.